During World War I, Britain was at a great disadvantage in manufacturing explosives, that is, until there was a breakthrough in synthesizing acetone by a Jewish chemist named Dr. Chaim Weizmann, who was born this day, Nov. 27, 1874. The British were so grateful that they issued the Balfour Declaration, establishing a national homeland for the Jewish people. Dr. Weizmann received the support of the president of the United States, Harry S Truman, who wrote: “I want to tell you how happy and impressed I have been at the remarkable progress made by the new State of Israel.” Dr. Weizmann wrote: “I think that the God of Israel is with us.”